


Consequences Of Our Actions

by TheWaterGoddess



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Conan takes up new identity, Edogawa Conan as Fuyuhiko Daichi, F/M, Gen, KaiShin Bromance, KaiShin Friendship, Kids/KID rules, M/M, Pandora is a myth, Romantic Friendship, Science Rules, Shounen Tantei-dan are smart kids, hidden identities, no magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-21 14:50:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9553466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWaterGoddess/pseuds/TheWaterGoddess
Summary: The Kudo's made a big mistake in playing a prank on Conan. Unable to recognise the Night Baron and Edogawa Fumiyo's true identity in his disoriented state, Conan escapes. Now with no Detective Agency to bring in cases, his only way to fight the Black Organisation is to make new allies, in whatever form they come – be it the Detective Boys or teenage magician, Kuroba Kaito.Or, in which Edogawa Conan forms a new identity as Fuyuhiko Daichi and settles down in Ekoda, running into dead bodies, teenage magicians moonlighting as phantom thieves, and two teenage high school detectives who seem to have a lot of curiosity regarding Kudo Shinichi and Kaitou Kid.Kudo Shinichi/Mouri RanKuroba Kaito/Nakamori AokoKudo Shinichi|Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito|Kaitou Kid (Mostly Friendship. Early Romance Relationship)





	1. Escape And Restart

**Author's Note:**

> The start of the story is taken mostly from Episode 43: The kidnapping of Edogawa Conan.
> 
> After which, the flow of the story is completely different from Canon. Characters like Mouri Ran, Hattori Heiji, Kuroba Kaito, Hakuba Saguru, the FBI and (mainly) the Shounen Tantei-dan will have a more major role than others.
> 
> Also, I've posted a couple of new stories "Kindly Cruel" and "Consequences Of Our Actions", please do take a few moments to read them if you like.

When Conan came to, he was tied with ropes and dizzy due to the chloroform's after-effects.

' _Where am I?'_ Conan wondered, head spinning and eye-sight blurry, _'This…looks like a kitchen of some sort.'_

Peering out of the window, he realized that he was on the second floor. The ground below was covered with a layer of snow of about half a meter deep. Turning back, Conan could make out voices coming form the next room. Luckily, there seemed to be a hole in the wooden door.

He peeked through it; the woman who had pretended to be his mother was talking to a man. Taller than the woman by almost a full head, he wore deep navy trousers and a cape of a similar shade.

"What? You haven't killed him yet?" the man asked in a gruff, unfamiliar voice.

"Don't do anything rash! The organisation wants to test him, check if there are any more side-effects of that drug!" the woman, who claimed to be Edogawa Fumiyo, was cautioning him.

"Hmph! That's all they made me come here for…"

 _'I see,'_ Conan realized, ' _that's why I'm still alive,'_

The man turned around then, his face covered by a white mask with slits for eye holes and a wide shit-eating grin painted on the lower part. For some inexplicable reason, Conan thought that he'd seen it before. But the sleeping drug was still affecting him and he might have been mistaken…

After checking on Conan, who quickly feigned sleep, they went back to discussing the poison's effects and whether it could actually shrink someone.

' _This is impossible!_ ' Conan thought, ' _Gin and Vodka were using an experimental drug that was untested on humans! My shrinking must have been accidental, there is no guarantee it would happen again!_ '

"Is he really high school student-detective, Kudo Shinichi? He looks like a kid to me!" the man asked.

"Yes, there is very little doubt –"

' _Little doubt?'_ Conan was relieved, _'So they are not sure yet. I must escape before they get any confirmation!_ '

" – but the day Kudo Shinichi disappears and Edogawa Conan appears at Mouri Detective Agency is the same and the boy also starts solving cases around the area with ease. Along with the fact that he escaped me with such skill…he must be Kudo Shinichi himself! There is nothing there but to suppose that the organisation's new drug shrunk him!"

"That was supposed to be a poison that couldn't be detected in a dead body!"

"Exactly! Which is why I still have doubts…"

"So…shall we test it then?"

"Test it?!" the woman was surprised.

"I have a few of the poison pills with me. We shall give it to another and see if it really shrinks people."

"On whom shall you test it though?"

"The man we're making a deal with tomorrow. The organisation wants to finish him off either way."

"Oh? And what are you going to do if it does shrink him?" the woman asked with disdain.

"First, kill the man we're dealing with and then, stop the breath of the little boy sleeping in the room there!"

Conan broke out in cold sweat at that. There was only one option now – run. Run away as far as possible, as fast as possible. And never look back.

* * *

As night fell, the two kidnappers fell asleep in the outer room, leaving the now wide awake Conan ready to make his escape.

' _First, to get these ropes off!_ ' Conan decided, ' _Then to make an escape. But that deal they're making tomorrow…the man's life is in danger…_ '

As Conan cut off his ropes by breaking a wine bottle and using a jagged piece of glass, he wondered if he should stay back and try to help.

 _'No!_ ' Conan shook his head, ' _Don't be foolish, Shinichi! The drug was experimental. If they've checked out my house, they should have thought I was dead. No one should have known I was alive. How they even found out the exact date I moved in with the Mouri's is suspicious.'_

And yes, wasn't that the most confusing thing of all? How did they know all that? The woman had drugged him right outside Agasa Hakase's house; did that mean they found out from him? Then, Hakase was in danger too…but, he couldn't go back there. That would put him in even more danger.

Conan sighed, ' _But one thing is for certain, to stay here is madness. I must escape now, to live. The man they are making a deal with tomorrow may or may not be saved, but if I escape now, I will be able to save countless victims of theirs later!'_

The window seemed to be the best option in the end. The empty fridge and loose floor board with an empty space underneath were hiding places that the men in black would definitely know about – this was _their_ house after all. For all Conan knew, it may have been created to store something else by them and it would be foolish to use it to hide himself in.

' _The window then_ ,' Conan decided, ' _the snow is still falling, by tomorrow morning, it will have covered my tracks and the meter deep snow will cushion my fall. At the most, I'll sprain my leg. But my life is more important than my leg.'_

With that, he jumped.

It was true, the snow did cushion his fall and he'd made no noise. Either way, the snow storm would have drowned out any loud noises. Taking a moment to regret the fact that he was leaving behind everything, _everyone_ , he held dear – Ran, Hakase, Kogoro-san, Eri-san, Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, Genta, Megure-keibu and the other officers – he shed a lone tear that seemed to warm his snow cold cheek for a moment before freezing upon his chin.

Then, he ran.

* * *

Conan didn't know how long it had been since he'd passed Beika district borders, but it was still dark and he was tired. It was then he remembered his glasses.

His glasses, coupled with his bow-tie, had been the most identifying markers for 'Edogawa Conan'. They would, unfortunately, have to go. He was reluctant to part with them however, so for the time being, he took them off and stuffed them in an inner coat pocket. The other thing that would have to go was his name – Edogawa Conan could no longer exist.

Ran and Kogoro-san would not worry about his disappearance; Edogawa Fumiyo had assured them of that. Similarly for Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Genta. The problem was Agasa Hakase. Should he believe that the professor had been questioned by them men in black – though that was unlikely; as Conan, he'd not been seen much with him – then it meant he was in danger. The Hakase would be fine though, as long as he didn't make any contact with him. And the professor knew better than to write a missing report for him, he didn't need to be brought to attention.

The men in black however…they would be difficult to lose. Fortunately and unfortunately, young children often appeared and disappeared off the streets with no official records on them. If one was an orphan and homeless, no one would truly care or look into their background.

 _'Then, that is my only option_ ,' Conan thought sadly, ' _I'll have to revise a whole new backstory and find an orphanage to live in. A new start with a new name._ '

Pulling out a handful of change that he carried in an inside pocket of his coat – though pretentious for a seven year old, it had many uses, and pockets, which greatly helped him now – he counted to a thousand and two hundred yen.

"Okay," Conan muttered, "first, to find a coin locker and put my coat, glasses, elasticity suspenders, detective badge and bow-tie in them. They stand out too much and no one will think of me using a coin-locker to hide these…the shoes look normal enough to wear, so that will be fine at least."

After a lot of deliberation and reluctance, Conan decided that even his watch that held the sleeping dart, had to go. The listening devices and trackers built in with the spectacles had only one receptor – the glasses themselves – and no one would be able to track its locator. The detective badge could also only be tracked using his glasses and the suspenders were of no use to him now. It would be better to just put them all in one place. Then at least, all his belongings would be safe.

It took Conan two more hours of random wanderings to find a coin operated locker – a hundred yen gone – but it left him feeling much safer. Keeping the key to his locker – lucky number 7 – inside his trouser-short's pockets, Conan tried to emulate a lost and orphaned boy.

It soon became pretty clear to him that this tactic would not work. He looked, for all intents and purposes, the son of a rich house-lord (which he was, but that wasn't going to be of much help now). Stopping at a nearby park, Conan carefully left mud and dirt streaks all over his face, hair and clothes. Another look at himself in a shop's glass windows confirmed it – he was unrecognizable.

Deciding to be a bit more realistic, Conan spent the rest of the night sleeping in the park, hidden in the children's playground's cave hole. Come next morning, he'd truly look the part of a homeless, lost boy.

* * *

Conan woke up early. Whether it had to do with his uncomfortable sleeping place or the open, and thus dangerous and vulnerable, park, he had no idea.

"I do not recognise this place," he muttered to himself, "but best go buy some food first and then find an orphanage. Hiding amongst other children will be best for now. If they're looking for a teenage – turned child – detective, an orphanage will be…one of the first places they'll look for! Damn it!"

Okay, so not an orphanage for now. After some time, when the matter had cooled down, that would be a plausible option. But by that time, what should he do?

"I have roughly 1100 yen, at the moment," Conan spoke aloud, "and that won't last me long. Best thing to do would be to get a job. But what place would employ a seven year old?"

None. There was no place that would employ a child. Was surviving in this manner only a forlorn hope for him? Conan refused to believe so. There would be a way for him to live, he had enough intelligence and caution to survive. Because, giving up to the men in black…that would mean death. And death was not an option, not when Ran was faithfully awaiting his return.

"Well," Conan took a deep breath, "first things first. An alias."

* * *

It had been two weeks since Edogawa Conan had escaped from his captors. With his measly intake of food and camping out in different parks each night (not comfortable or hygienic at all, but necessary), his appearance had changed greatly. He was thinner now and his face and arms had developed a slight tan.

He spent most mornings helping out the local newspaper delivery service, delivering newspapers to doorsteps early morning before day break. Then, as per routine, he'd buy a cheap melon-bread from the street vendors. After which, he'd go to the public baths to bathe and freshen up.

He'd managed to acquire another pair of shorts and a shirt from a kind old lady that ran the sewing shop half a city away, and washed his other pair of clothes in the bath. Alternating with two shorts and shirts was much harder than it seemed and it left him feeling quite grimy. Finally, he'd trek all the way across the town to Tsuchida-san's house to baby-sit her three-year old daughter.

While Tsuchida-san had been clearly sceptical of his offer at first – who wouldn't be? – speaking to him and taking note of his clear intelligence and maturity, she'd given him the job. As a widower and a working woman, she needed someone to take care of her child.

Trusting a strange child seemed better than trusting a strange adult. Hiring a baby-sitter, especially for young children, was costly. The price ranged from 1000 yen per hour to 3000 yen per hour. She couldn't afford a full-time baby-sitter, or employ one from an agency, so she thought she'd have to make do with a stranger solely based on trust and a flimsy check of their past record. In a way, Conan had been a blessing. He was young and thus more relatable to the child. He was, at the same time, very mature.

* * *

"Ah," Tsuchida Aya-san smiled, "You're early, Daichi-kun! No classes today? Or are you skipping?"

Ah, yes. That was his new cover story. He'd taken on the name Fuyuhiko Daichi and introduced himself as an orphan. His orphanage, conveniently situated in the next district, taught the children in their own institution. Conan had claimed to be too far ahead of his peers – and proved it too – for the classes to hold his interest. Deciding to do something productive to earn pocket money, he was baby-sitting.

Tsuchida-san had readily believed his story and agreed to keep quiet about his 'orphanage' as the kids were supposedly not allowed jobs. Happy to find someone available to take care of Miyuki-chan, her daughter, she'd not protested at all. She also paid him a generous 30,000 yen a week, so Conan had no complaints either. Gaining so much money – all off record (and in cash), considering he was not legally hired, but it made things much easier for Conan – would have been impossible for him as a child, but Tsuchida-san had been desperate and Conan was grateful for that.

"Hai," 'Daichi' smiled, "Skipping as usual. But you know that already, Aya-san!"

Aya-san laughed, "I do. Come in. You've had breakfast, yes?"

She asked him the same question every day, to which he simply smiled. But, it was the first time in the ten days that he'd worked here, he was actually early. Walking across the town was no easy feat for a seven-year old and it took him more than two hours.

Thus, when he arrived at 10:00 am in the morning, just before she left for work, Aya-san assumed he attended the morning lectures before catching a bus. Arriving at 8:30 am was very early compared to his usual timing.

"Actually," Conan began, "I've a favour to ask of you,"

"Oh?"

They walked into the kitchen, where little Miyuki-chan was trying to feed herself with chopsticks – she'd not gotten the hang of it yet. Conan smiled at her, taking a seat at the table. Aya-san wordlessly placed a cup of warm milk in front of him, not believing his usual answer of having eaten breakfast. Not that Conan protested, a small melon-bread was nowhere as satisfying as Ran's home-made food, but it did the job.

"Can I borrow some paper, envelope and stamps?" Conan asked as he sipped his milk.

"Writing a letter to someone?" Aya-san asked curiously.

"Yes," Conan smiled, "An old man who visited the orphanage a few months ago. He adopted a friend of mine; I was hoping to write to him."

Another lie. Conan had grown used to them. This was his life now. Where his first name – Shinichi – had been the very embodiment of truth, Conan's life was built on lies. Lies which kept him alive and safe.

"Alright," Aya-san agreed, "Would you like me to post it too?"

"No," Conan shook his head, "that's alright. I'll do it on the way back."

One more lie.

The truth was much different. He had finally decided that enough time had passed and deemed it to be safe to send Agasa Hakase a letter. He would not write anything but a few words. No salutation, no sign, no return address. That would be safest. He'd also give Ran a call tonight – as Shinichi. Best not to make her worry too much.

* * *

By the time Aya-san returned home and Conan trudged back wearily, the sun had already set. He made his way to the lockers and retrieved his bow-tie. Making his way to a pay phone, Conan thought back to that day and once again pondered at the identities of his kidnappers.

' _Who were they? While they have not found me, I wonder if they believe me to be lost or dead or… either way, at least now they cannot check if I truly am Kudo Shinichi. And considering all other evidences, apart from my sudden disappearance, they will have to reach the conclusion that I am dead.'_

Conan stopped in his tracks when he remembered something.

 _'Unless…they actually tested that drug on the man they were supposed to meet that day. If he shrunk…then I am on the top of their 'to kill' list. If he died, then I am safe... I am truly cruel then, to hope that he died_.'

Conan's own phone had been with the Hakase that day; he'd wanted to tinker about it and Conan had obliged. He was glad for that now; he didn't know what he would have done with a phone on him – the most easily tracked devices of all.

Speaking of tracking, were they tapping the Mouri's phone? The mobile should be safe though, unless they bugged the whole place – no, that was unlikely. Considering Kogoro-san's new found fame and intelligence, they would be wary of bugging or wire-tapping the Detective Agency. Also, the man wasn't quite as incompetent, just not very bright when compared to genii like Shinichi. Still, it would be best to call on Ran's mobile.

He inserted a coin and pushed the numbers in a long-memorised sequence, waiting for her to pick it up. However, it seemed luck was not on his side. When she did not pick up her phone a third time, he gave up.

Sending the letter to Agasa Hakase was his next priority and he'd devised a plan for that too. Conan decided to spend some of his hard earned money to buy a ticket to Kyoto – far and expensive, but to make sure that neither he nor the Hakase would be in danger; sacrifices would have to be made.

It was a quick trip. All he'd done was post the letter and return. This served a purpose of course. If one tracked the letter back, it would only lead them to Kyoto, nowhere close to him or his whereabouts.

* * *

Conan would have to say, four weeks without tripping over a body was his new personal record. Of course, with his new routine consisting of delivering newspapers and baby-sitting, he'd be very surprised if he did come across a murder.

In these four weeks, free from duties like attending school, he'd spent every free moment reading any and all newspapers he came across, case files uploaded on the internet and research on old cases on library computers. Now, his only goal was to bring down the organisation and if cases would no longer come to him, he'd have to go after cases.

"Dai-nii-chan! Can you help me with this colour book?"

"Of course, Miyuki-chan!"

After he was done with his baby-sitting duties, naturally.

Personally, Conan never thought he could actually grow to enjoy looking after the little girl. But, perhaps she was part witch, because she had completely put him under her spell.

* * *

Aya-san returned home to see both kids curled up on the sofa, a book on Japanese folk-tales laid open next to them. And it nearly crushed her heart when she knew what she had to do.

"Daichi-kun!" She shook him awake gently, "Daichi-kun!"

Conan, being the light sleeper he was, immediately opened his eyes to see the worried and distressed profile of Aya-san in front of him.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing," she tried to smile, failing miserably, "I – I just have a favour to ask of you…can you take Miyuki-chan to the orphanage with you for a couple of days? I need to go away for a while…and, I've got no relatives, you see."

When Conan looked unconvinced, she elaborated, "Don't worry! Someone will come and explain things soon enough…you just need to keep her with you for a couple of days. I know I can trust her with you –"

And even if Conan had an orphanage to go back to and take Miyuki with him, instead of the streets, he would have refused. Because, Aya-san was clearly not telling him everything and it must have been something truly horrible if she was close to tears.

"Aya-san," Conan said firmly, "Stop. Please, sit down and tell me the whole story. The true story."

"I'm sorry, Daichi-kun," she sobbed, "I can't stay long. The police are outside the house, waiting for me. They allowed me in to tell you to take care of Miyuki-chan, but I must go now."

There was a silence at that. Carefully moving Miyuki-chan so that she lay on the sofa and not on him, Conan got up. He walked straight to the door and opened it. As Aya-san had said, outside stood a police car and three officers, two male and one female. All unfamiliar.

"Hello," Conan began politely, "Please come in,"

The police officers were baffled at the kid's order – it was an order without a doubt, no matter how politely he'd framed it – but complied.

"I'm Fuyuhiko Daichi," Conan introduced himself and waved over to the sleeping girl, "this is Tsuchida Miyuki-chan, my friend and you already know her mother, Tsuchida Aya-san."

Getting a clue, the woman smiled gently down at Conan, "I'm Detective Koshi, and my colleagues, Detectives Asahi and Goro."

The woman, Detective Koshi, glanced at Aya-san before saying, "We need Aya-san's help you see, Daichi-kun, and so would you please take Miyuki-chan to your home for tonight? We'll come to talk to your parents about the situation –"

"Ah," Conan smiled prettily at her, "but keiji-san, why do you need Aya-san's help?"

Detective Asahi crouched down to his level, "I'm afraid we can't tell –"

"Can't tell or won't tell?" Conan asked in a sweet voice, before sharpening his tone and startling the detectives, "No…you don't want her help, you want to question her as a suspect. For murder."

The detectives eyes widened in surprise. Then the female turned accusingly towards Aya.

"Tsuchida-san, we told you not to tell –" Detective Koshi began,

"It wasn't Aya-san who told me the reason for your visit," Conan replied calmly, "it was the three of you."

"What?!" Detective Goro exclaimed, " _We_ told you?"

"Oh, yes," Conan nodded, "the red badge pinned on your chest signifies that you work in the Police Department's Division One – Homicide. Thus, the only reason you would want Aya-san to go with you is because she was involved with one, either as a suspect or witness."

His words were slowly but surely making an impact on the detectives, their faces paling at his accurate deductions.

"If she was a witness, she wouldn't be so sad and tearful," Aya-san quickly attempted to wipe off her tears at that, "if she was the culprit and you had evidence proving it, she wouldn't be allowed back home and you would have sent an officer to retrieve us. Thus, she is a suspect – most probably the prime suspect and you would like to detain her for questioning."

"W-who is this boy?" Detective Asahi asked Aya-san, face paling slightly as she pointed a shaking finger towards him.

"I'm Miyuki-chan's friend," Conan interjected before Aya-san could say something that might give him away.

"And," Conan's voice sweetened again, "we would like to come along with you to the police station, because I do not believe Aya-san has committed a murder, not when she has Miyuki-chan to care for. So, I'm sure she would be released soon enough. You can only keep her for questioning for 48 hours without decisive evidence or a confession – neither of which you will get."

The detectives were spooked enough by the child, to not ask about the child's parents and simply complied with his demand.

* * *

Conan and Miyuki-chan sat outside the interrogation room for nearly two hours before they were let inside. Immediately, Miyuki ran to her mother and wrapped her arms around her.

The interrogating officers shifted uneasily at the scene and Conan scoffed. Clearly they were new to the department – most seasoned detectives knew that there were quite a few cold-blooded killers around, who would kill even though they had a young child who depended on them.

Conan on the other hand, did not truly doubt Aya-san's innocence, but he would reserve judgement till he saw the case file. Speaking of that…

"Ah-le-le!" Conan began with a child-like, innocent voice, "Look at that photo! Isn't the knife oddly positioned?"

The officers, who'd been looking over the crime scene photos, jumped at his sudden statement.

"Little boy," one of them began sternly, "these are not for you to see. Go stay by your mother."

"Oh, she's not my mother, she's just an aunt," Conan said, "But look at the photo, isn't the knife oddly positioned?"

The officer was about to get angry when Detective Goro spoke up, "What is odd, boy?"

"Oi, Goro, he's just a kid!"

"Yeah," Detective Koshi agreed, an odd glint in her eye, "a kid who's clearly not freaking out at the blood in these photos and who guessed why we wanted Tsuchida-san even before we mentioned anything. Tell us Daichi-kun, what do you mean?"

"The position of the knife in comparison to the height of the body," Conan's voice lost some of its child-like quality, "it's completely wrong if Aya-san would have killed her."

There was a silence before Detective Koshi spoke up, "Actually, Daichi-kun, based on the position of the knife, Tsuchida-san is the only suspect who could have killed her, out of all four people that visited the victim's house."

"Ah, but Koshi-keiji," Conan said, his voice normal, lacking any uncertainty, "that's because you have taken into account that she was wearing those heels when she was killed."

The photograph Conan was pointing to, did show the victim wearing a four inch heel. The other photos were taken from various angles, showing the victim and the room she was killed in.

"There are three things wrong with the scene," Conan spoke softly but firmly, "one, her hair. It is in clumps and one can see the wet spots on the shirt near her shoulders. Which meant, she was recently in the bath."

He looked up to see the officers staring at him wide-eyed. Conan knew that this was not at all conducive to keeping his cover, but Aya-san's freedom meant the continuity of his livelihood. Without the money she paid him, and her trusting silence on his personal matters, he would be in a much more difficult situation. So, he would help her. Sooner or later, these officers would forget all about a smart little kid they'd encountered, and he'd be safe.

"I don't know the order in which the other suspects entered, but one of those who came in after her bath, killed her." Conan said.

"Only three people, then," Detective Koshi told him, seemingly forgetting that she was talking to a child and was not truly supposed to give out such information, "Tsuchida-san, Imayoshi-san and Takaaki-san."

"Two, her shoes," Conan said, "or heels as it is called. She was killed in the kitchen. While it is true, that the kitchen is only one room away from the house door, isn't it odd that she would wear them inside the house?"

"Some people do have a habit of this western culture of wearing shoes inside the house, you know," an un-named officer, who looked quite disapproving of discussing things with a child, told him.

"Ah, but those people would usually allow their guests to do the same then," Conan pointed out, "And look here, this officer's feet in this photo – he's wearing guest slippers!"

"That's true," Detective Goro muttered, "did someone put the heels on her after her death, then?"

"Exactly!" Conan exclaimed, "Also, point three, the colour scheme."

"Colour scheme?" the un-named officer snorted, "Look boy, this is adequate. You've raised a good point, but's that enough. We'll take it from here."

"Miyaji-kun!" Detective Koshi reprimanded, "I think this boy raises good questions. There is no need to be so harsh."

"Ma'am," the now known Miyaji-keiji protested, "he is but a child. And a civilian! We are not meant to –"

"I shall take full responsibility of it," Detective Koshi cut him off, "besides, it's not like this is the first time we're enlisting the help of a civilian, _or_ a child. As long as we achieve our objective – apprehending the criminal, any help given is appreciated,"

Conan watched on curiously, wondering who this civilian was – another detective? Or another _teenaged_ detective, perhaps?

"Daichi-kun," Detective Koshi said, "Go on,"

"Look at the rest of the room;" Conan pointed at the photos, "everything is colour coded and matched. Either she enlisted the help of a very good interior designer, or she is one herself."

"You're actually right," Detective Goro commented, "she is an interior designer."

Conan nodded and gave him a smile, "Now, I'm guessing both Imayoshi-san and Takaaki-san knew her well?"

"Yes, both men were old college friends of hers who owed her money. Same with Tsuchida-san," Detective Koshi replied.

"Then they must have known she liked matching everything, even her clothes and shoes," Conan smiled, "Because clearly, her light pink shirt and deep maroon pants were well matched. Why, then, are her heels green?"

The question stumped everyone.

Conan smirked, "I'm guessing here too, but she must have a pair of red heels in her shoe-cupboard if she owns such clothes. Instead of red, why is she wearing green heels?"

"Yes, she does own a pair of… Oh!" Miyaji-keiji's eyes widened as he looked down at Conan in comprehension, "The killer put the shoes on her!"

"What?" Detective Goro was stumped, "How did you reach that conclusion?"

"She wouldn't wear green heels to go with her red outfit," Miyaji-keiji replied, "Thus, the killer had to have put them on her later, to confuse us with their apparent height!"

"But why green?" Goro-keiji was still confused, "If the killer did put it on her, red seemed more realistic and less suspicious…"

"Colour-blindness," replied Conan,

"A genetically passed trait, appearing only in males," Detective Koshi said in comprehension, "who lack the ability to identify the colour red and green. They both appear to be in shades of grey to them. So, the killer is colour-blind and put on the wrong shoes on her!"

"So, that means, she was killed without her wearing those heels," Detective Goro said, eyes glinting at the new information, "taking into account that height, there is no way Tsuchida-san could have stabbed her! It has to be either Imayoshi-san or Takaaki-san; both are of nearly the same height. Now to find out which one of them is colour-blind…"

Conan quietly slipped away as the three detectives poured over their notes, and reached to the right conclusion.

* * *

"We're very sorry to have troubled you," Detective Koshi bowed deeply, her juniors behind her, "and thank you for your co-operation, Tsuchida-san!"

"Oh, it's alright," Aya-san gave them a watery smile, tightly clutching at her daughter, "I'm glad you found the culprit."

"It wouldn't have been quite so easy if it wasn't for your nephew," Detective Miyaji said, looking at the kid with new found respect.

Conan grinned up at him. As they were leaving, he gave a small tug at Koshi-keiji's skirt, "Ne, can you tell me who you were talking about? When you said you'd taken help from another civilian before? Was it a teenage detective?"

"Nothing escapes your sharp mind, does it?" Koshi-keiji grinned down at him, "You're right. It's a high school detective who's helped us out a couple of times. He's moved back to Japan a few months ago, in fact. Hakuba Saguru."

* * *

"I'll never be able to thank you enough, Daichi-kun," Aya-san told him after she'd put Miyuki to bed, "all I can say is…if you'd consider my offer…would you like me to adopt you?"

Conan was shocked, _'W-what did she say? Not that I can even accept her offer….but it sounds so good, to have a proper roof over my head again…'_

"Aya-san," Conan knew what he was about to do would destroy four whole weeks of hard-work and preparation, but after literally clearing her from the police's suspicions, her genuine offer could be met with nothing but honesty, "I've lied to you,"

"What do you mean?" she asked cautiously but curiously, willing to patiently listen to him.

Because, he'd helped her when there had been no need for him to and if even if he'd lied to her about something, listening to his explanation was something she owed to him.

"I don't live in an orphanage," Conan admitted, "nor do I go to any classes. I deliver papers in the morning and come here for more work till evening. You can't adopt me, truly. I don't exist on records, if you know what I mean."

She was quiet for a long time, before saying, "That's alright. We'll make up all the papers for you; I've got a friend who'll help out in the process. You can keep your name too. I'll simply be listed as your guardian and you can stay with us…how about that?"

What she was saying was too good to be true, but the offer was tempting. And having a stable home would be a great help. It would make it easier for him to progress on his investigation when he did not have to worry about meals and a place to sleep. But being on record meant going back to school – was he ready for that? Was he ready to show his face out in the open again?

Conan gave a glance at the polished window glass; the face staring back at him was no longer exactly like Edogawa Conan. It was thinner, darker and without those tell-tale glasses. Yes, this would do.

Adults often confused themselves with children's faces, and remove a few notable points, the men in black would never realise it was him. Because, if one wanted to hide a tree, the best place for it was a forest. To hide in plain sight, he would have to return back there.

All Edogawa Conan had was a few hastily forged legal papers, a false medical record and a mysterious past with no explanation. What Aya-san was offering for Fuyuhiko Daichi was a legal and authentic identity, who had an anonymous but plausible past.

His plans were already changing, now he could no longer afford to wait. But, he couldn't deny that he missed them. They, for all their childish behaviour, were quite insightful on their own might. So, with his resources cut down, he'd have to make do with all he could get his hands on.

"On one condition," Conan smiled at Aya-san, "please let me attend Teitan Primary School."


	2. The Shounen Tantei-dan Reunite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shounen Tantei-dan come into picture. Kuroba Kaito makes an appearance and the horrible prank comes to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient. I'm sorry for the long gap between updates, but I'm afraid this is how it is going to be now. While my main examinations have not yet begun, the practicals are underway and I must be concentrating on those now. Writing is now purely recreational - unlike the zeal I had before to simply complete my stories :P
> 
> Thank you, all of you, who gave me your opinions on Episode 43. It helped me write this chapter.
> 
> So, do let me know how you liked it!
> 
> Enjoy~

"Yukiko-kun! Yusaku-kun!"

At Agasa Hakase's loud shout, and insisting knocks, Yukiko immediately opened the door, her face set into a worried frown. Seeing the Hakase's relieved expression, she lit up with hope,

"Hakase?"

"H-He sent me a letter!"

In two minutes, the Kudo couple and the professor were seated around the kitchen table, letter spread out in front of them. Unfortunately, it contained only four words:

_Stay safe. I am._

The meaning was very clear.

Putting her face in her hands, Yukiko sobbed dry tears, "I should never have played such a prank on Shin-chan! It's all my fault! If we'd only –"

"Shh, Yukiko," her husband comforted her, "I am equally at fault,"

"As am I," Hakase told her, "and I feel even more guilty, knowing that Shinichi-kun trusted me to never tell anyone…seeing this letter, my guilt only increases…"

"No Hakase," Yusaku denied, "we are his parents, it was only right that you told us everything. I, however, miscalculated the danger he associated with this case. I merely wished to test his detective skills and see if he was prepared to deal with the situation…"

"He ran away!" Yukiko sobbed, "H-He actually thought he was in danger! I never meant to put my baby through all that! Who knows where he's been? All we'd searched, from orphanages to old shrines, he was nowhere!"

"Well, the post-mark on this letter is of Kyoto," Hakase said, "Do you think he's there?"

"No," Yusaku shook his head, "he'd never leave such an obvious trail. Wherever he is, it is definitely _not_ Kyoto."

"But," Yukiko opposed, "he might have known we'd think that so he probably _is_ in Kyoto!"

"And there is the flaw, dear," Yusaku intoned sadly, "He has not posted this from Kyoto to fool _us_ , but the men in black. Had I not known my son, even I would have assumed he was in Kyoto or somewhere close to it. Shinichi has sent this letter assuming he actually is in danger, which is why he's waited for so long to send it. Which is also why he's only written a few words, telling the Hakase that he's safe and cautioning him to do the same."

"So," Agasa Hakase concluded, "you can't deduce anything from this letter?"

"Oh no," Yusaku denied, "I can deduce a great many things, but nothing about Shinichi. There lies the problem. But…it also fills me with pride, knowing he's gone to such great lengths that even I cannot trace it back to him!"

"I don't care about all that!" Yukiko cried, "I just want my baby back! Who knows where he is, how he is! He may be seventeen, but he's stuck as a seven-year old! Please, Yusaku! Find him!"

It was truly a mother's desperate cry for her child, but Yusaku could provide her with nothing but murmurs of assurances that Shinichi was fine, wherever he was.

"You know that we've tried our best Yukiko," Yusaku reminded her, "but nowhere has there been a sighting of a lost child, never mind one bearing 'Conan's' identifications. Besides, if I know Shinichi, he would have discarded everything that would identify him as Conan, immediately."

"Hakase," she turned to the professor, "are you sure we cannot track him?"

"Yukiko-kun," the Hakase said sadly, "both the detective badges as well as the tracker placed in his glasses have only one way to be located – with the glasses themselves. I've no way to track him. And if I did, I'm pretty sure Shinichi-kun would have destroyed it. He does truly believe that he's in danger."

"Don't worry, Yuki-chan," Yusaku told her soothingly, "we've asked Ran-chan to call us if Shinichi ever contacts her. You know, he will contact her sooner or later. Then we might be able to establish contact with him, okay?"

"Okay," Yukiko whispered, before murmuring, "I'm sorry baby! I'm so, so, _so_ sorry, Shin-chan!"

The three of them could do nothing but wait, however. Because, in the end, the blame did lie with them. This was simply the consequences of their actions.

* * *

If anyone would have told Conan that he would eagerly anticipate his first day at primary school (for his _third_ time attending it), he would have laughed and sent them packing to a loony bin. But it was true. Perhaps he was not so much anticipating the school days, but to be reunited with his friends.

"Class," Kobayashi-sensei announced, "we have a new student starting today. Please welcome Fuyuhiko Daichi-kun!"

His first day as 'Daichi' passed just like his first day as 'Conan' had gone. Only difference being, the notable absence of the detective boys. They seemed to be a more tight-knit group than they had been before, Conan's absence taking their toll on them. Looking at them, it was for the first time that Conan realised just how much he'd influenced them.

As Conan walked home from the bus stop, he made a slight detour towards the coin-lockers and retrieved a little money from the stash he'd kept – his earnings from working as a newspaper delivery boy and a baby-sitter, both jobs now over and done with – and walked over to a road-side florist.

It had been a long time since he'd called Ran, and the last time he'd tried, she'd not picked up her phone. Today, he'd passed by Teitan High School to see if he could peek a glance at her. She'd seemed cheerful, talking and laughing with Sonoko. But Shinichi, who'd known her since they were kids, could easily see the stressful lines adorning her youthful face and the slight slump in her shoulders.

Apparently, learning that your life is at risk – really at risk, like a 'going to die soon' possibility – is quite the wake-up call. It had quite possibly set fire to a few neurons in his brain that were in charge of his more thoughtful and romantic gestures, because Conan was going to send her flowers. Honest to God, beautiful – blue orchids – _flowers_ as a gift to Ran.

He knew Ran well enough to know that she wouldn't tell anyone that he'd sent them. So the safety factor was not an issue.

* * *

Conan was not the only customer though and he was quite willing to wait till the other teen finished his order.

"Two red roses, four yellow and four white," the teen said, "Oh no, not quite so long! Cut the stems. Make them five inches at most. Yup, that's right."

The stall owner dutifully complied, "Anything else?"

"Yes, two lilies, five blue and five violet orchids and a couple of camellias." The teen nodded, "Oh come on Oji-san! How many times have I bought flowers from you? You should know by now how I want them cut…"

"Kuroba-san," the owner sighed in exasperation, "you rarely come to my shop – something about my flowers not being pretty enough for your friends – but every time you do, do you have to be so fussy?"

The teen, Kuroba, smiled, "Of course! Can't have them be anything short of perfect."

"Hai, hai. How would you like a few bellflowers? I've got plenty today."

"Let me check if I've enough money…"

As Conan browsed through the display of flowers, he watched the teen fiddle with his wallet, before nodding and adding bellflowers to his already long list of flowers. When Conan finally got a good look at Kuroba's face, he stopped and stared in shock.

Kuroba looked disturbingly similar to Kudo Shinichi.

_A perfectly identical face!_

Quickly schooling his face into one of polite interest, Conan looked over the teen, cataloguing the differences – glad to _find_ differences – hair had a distinctive lack of cowlick and seemed to be naturally messy, his face was more fuller and less angular, his shoulders were not quite as broad as Shinichi's (but seemed to be just as muscular), feet were; perhaps, maybe, not quite sure, but _possibly_ ; a size smaller too, and his hands…his hands were not that of a violinist. No, the calluses were different. They seemed to be that of a –

"Yo, kid," Kuroba called out to him, "what are you looking at?"

"Magician," only when Conan had spoken out loud that it struck him, _'Yes, his hands are that of a magician.'_

His response had clearly startled Kuroba, because he was looking at Conan with blatant curiosity.

"I am," Kuroba admitted as he paid for his flowers, tucking them away methodically about his person, till they were no longer visible, "but, how did you know that?"

"Now," Conan smirked, wanting to have a bit of fun, "that would be telling…and magicians never reveal their secrets!"

Kuroba laughed at that, crouching down in front of him and presenting him with a small yellow rose with a flick of his wrist.

Conan stared at it curiously, knowing what the yellow rose symbolised: joy, friendship, new beginnings. He looked up at Kuroba and seeing the genuine smile on his face, accepted the rose.

"Thank you," Conan muttered softly, ' _Kuroba, you will probably never realise just how much you defined my life by giving me this rose – it symbolises everything that has happened to me. It truly is a new beginning for me._ '

Kuroba merely ruffled Conan's hair at the thanks and was about to get up and leave when he spoke up,

"Magicians," Conan began softly, before clearing his throat and continuing firmly, "magicians perform their show by showing their audience a trick and then proceeding to carefully hide the secret behind it from the viewers' watchful eyes."

The kid's words were interesting enough that both the stall owner and Kuroba turned to pay attention to it. Conan simply kept his eyes trained on the rose, staring at it with obvious fascination.

"A detective's show, on the other hand," Conan continued, "is to observe and analyse their subject and then explain the trick behind it all."

Conan smiled at the teen and proceeded to give the explanation he'd been asked for, "Your hands, they have calluses. Small and thin, healed cuts from a wire and new playing cards. Must be from years of practice. Your fingers are also dextrous; you were flipping that coin between your fingers and over your knuckles when you checked your wallet for spare change. And the specific size of stems you ordered your flowers to be… Everything pointed to the fact that you are a magician,"

Kuroba let out a low whistle of appreciation while the shopkeeper couldn't close his mouth due to his surprise.

"You came to know that by simply looking? That's awesome!" Kuroba praised.

Conan smiled at the genuine compliment, "Fuyuhiko Daichi, tantei sa!"

It was only after he'd spoken that Conan realised his slip; he'd introduced himself as a _detective_. But then he sighed, being a detective was an integral part of him, he couldn't abandon that.

"Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire!" the teen bowed dramatically in front of him.

Conan let out an involuntary snort of laughter at that.

"And, you know, Fuyuhiko-kun?" Kuroba said thoughtfully, "If you could do away with your deductions for about half an hour, drop by Ekoda Park in evenings on weekends. I'll be performing then,"

_'I can't really spare any free time I have._ ' Conan thought, ' _I need every moment I have to try and pursue the men in black and their organisation…but, perhaps an hour or so at the park might not be so bad…'_

"Okay!" Conan chirped sweetly, reverting back into his kid persona, "Thanks for inviting me Kuroba-nii-chan!"

Kuroba waved at him as he walked away.

"Ah…so," the florist cleared his throat, "what kind of flowers would you like?"

"Do you have a delivery service, Oji-san?" Conan asked him, snapping back to attention too, filing away Kuroba's eccentric quirks and personality for later perusal at the back of his mind.

"Yes, but all deliveries will be after 6:00 pm and before 8:00 am,"

"That's okay, I want you to deliver a bouquet of blue orchids at this place," Conan showed him a piece of paper, Mouri Detective Agency's address scrawled upon it, "by tonight."

"All right," the owner nodded, "who is it for and from?"

"To Mouri Ran, from…" Conan pondered, should he even write a name or not? "…from, Meitantei."

The florist raised an eyebrow at the name but complied.

* * *

Kaito's flowers had not bloomed that day, which was quite bothersome, seriously. He preferred to use his own flowers, grown by yours truly, in his magic tricks. Buying them from a florist seemed cheap, but he was doing a show tonight at Ekoda Park, so flowers were a must. He anticipated his visit to Mogi's Flower Shop to go as it usually did – him ordering his flowers, always having to remind the owner of his special requirements, paying and returning.

Fuyuhiko Daichi had been an unexpected surprise.

The boy had entered the small, open flower stall midway through his shopping and patiently waited while he ordered his flowers. That was nothing to take note of, really. The boy browsed the flowers displayed and Kaito was content to leave his thoughts on the boy at that.

However, nearly a minute later, he felt a piercing stare upon him. It was quite similar to the one Hakuba usually levelled at him, as if trying to see through his mask and grasping at every straw available to prove he was Kaitou Kid (Which he was not! Thank you very much!...Or at least that's what he would say to everyone who asked).

Which is why, to feel that particular brand of glare upon him in a flower shop was…strange. Even more strange was the fact that it was the kid who was looking at him in that manner. What had he ever done to the boy to be stared at in such a manner? He'd never even seen the boy before!

Upon questioning him, the boy had replied, "Magician."

_'The hell?!_ ' Kaito slammed down his poker face after a brief moment of shock, ' _How did he know that?'_

The kid's answer to that question was what had amused Kaito the most, ' _A magician never reveals his secrets, huh? Of course, and now that you've said that, I've no choice but to back off. No matter how curious I am, pressing you to reveal the trick is against a magician's code of conduct.'_

Kaito had then presented the boy with a yellow rose, _'Because, someone like you, kid, certainly deserves this. For a kid, you're certainly quite bright…_ '

"A detective's show, on the other hand, is to observe and analyse their subject and then explain the trick behind it all," Conan had said as Kaito had been about to leave.

_'A detective – I should have realised that_ ,' Kaito sighed, _'only another detective could use that particular brand of Hakuba's 'I-know-what-you're-hiding-and-I'll-prove-it' glare after all,_ '

Then the kid had explained his deductions and Kaito couldn't deny the admiration he felt, ' _Seriously, he's too good for a kid! But…the way he's clutching at the rose, as if…as if it's something precious_.'

Kaito's countenance softened, ' _Has the kid ever been to a magic show? He certainly seemed happy when I did the flower trick… well, no child should ever miss out on magic!'_

"Drop by Ekoda Park in evenings on weekends. I'll be performing then," Kaito had invited, ' _I'll give you a performance to remember, Tantei-kun! You will see the joy and wonder I can bring about with my magic…because; you clearly seem to be in need of it. I'll wait for you…'_

"Ba-Kaito!" Aoko's loud yell brought him out of his thoughts, "Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

"Ah! Yes, of course, Aoko," Kaito flicked out a red rose for her.

She huffed and accepted it as usual and Kaito felt a twinge of irritation, ' _Does she even realise what colour it is? Well, I've been giving her flowers since years…they are probably all the same to her now_.'

Kaito felt a smile come upon his lips though, when Aoko placed the flower behind her ear, turning slightly to show it off to him before she went back to chattering about everything and nothing, slipping her arm through his as they walked to Ekoda Park.

"I'll go find a good spot to sit," Aoko told him with a smile, "before all the kids surround you, okay?"

Kaito nodded with a smile of his own. No matter how many times he performed in the park, and how many times Aoko had already seen some of his tricks, she faithfully attended each and every one of his shows. As the children playing in the park noticed his entrance, they immediately crowded around him, waiting for his magic show. Some of the parents moved a bit closer too, clearly interested. A little further away, seated on a bench, Aoko waved at him.

Kaito took a deep breath, smiling at his audience. Looking at their bright and eager faces, Kaito was reminded once again of the reason he was a magician – to bring about joy and wonder, to show others the beauty of magic, to spread happiness – and he began his show.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome…"

* * *

Ran felt Conan's absence to be tangible.

When her father would be out, mostly in a bar to drink like he was doing at the moment, she would be comforted by his presence. He would hop upon a kitchen stool with either his homework or a book, and watch her silently as she cooked dinner. With him, it felt more like a family.

She knew he would not be staying for long, Agasa Hakase had told her it was only till his parents got better. Then it would be goodbye…but when the time came – when she had opened the door to welcome in Edogawa Fumiyo – she had selfishly wished that Conan-kun could have stayed longer. Just a little while more… Fumiyo-san had promised that he would call, and probably visit too, but it had been more than four weeks now since she had heard from him.

With Shinichi's infrequent and unexpected phone calls, that she could never predict, she was satisfied. Not happy, no, certainly not happy; but…satisfied. But Conan-kun's silence vexed her.

Ran sighed, there was no use thinking of that now. It was nearly eight o' clock and she should start dinner preparations soon. Taking a moment to deliberate upon her choices – fish or meat? – she leaned against the open fridge door and peered inside.

Ding-dong!

_'Huh?'_ Ran was surprised, ' _Who could it be at this time? Dad would just use his key and we don't accept clients in our home…'_

"Good evening," A young man greeted as Ran opened the door, "Delivery for Mouri Ran-sama?"

' _Delivery?'_ Ran looked at the bouquet of blue orchids in his hand, ' _For me? I wonder who sent it…'_

"Yes, I'm Mouri Ran,"

Ran accepted the flower bouquet and signed the delivery pad before asking, "Ano…could you tell me who sent it?"

The delivery boy shrugged, "I've no idea ma'am. I just deliver where the boss tells me to. But there's a card with the flowers, maybe it's written? See ya!"

Ran shut the door closed before taking a better look at the bouquet. Tucked between the flowers was a small, white card, and upon it in neat calligraphy, the words: _To Mouri Ran, From Meitantei._

Unbidden, a smile came upon Ran's lips, _'Meitantei, huh? You proud, Holmes crazy, mystery-otaku! Sending me flowers, are you? They don't make up for your absence…but,'_ Ran took in the fragrance of the orchids; if she imagined harder, they smelt of Shinichi, and surprisingly, Conan-kun, _'…but, thank you. For coming to meet me in the form of these flowers…_ '

When Mouri Kogoro stumbled home late at night, drunk and hungry, it was to see Ran gaze blissfully at a vase full of blue flowers. For some reason though, she refused to mention where they came from.

* * *

It was by the end of Conan's second week at school that he began to notice it. Now that he had begun life as Fuyuhiko Daichi, and started living with the Tsuchida family, his dark tan had begun to gradually fade away. His thin countenance was also giving way to a more healthy appearance.

While that was overall a good sign, it meant he was not slowly starving himself by living on melon-breads and Aya-san's lunch, it also meant he would soon regain his looks of 'Edogawa Conan'. And _that_ was not a good thing.

_'I can't do anything about my physical appearance,'_ Conan thought realistically, _'but my skin colour can be changed with a bit of make-up,'_

"Daichi-kun!" Aya-san called up the stairs, "I'm going to the market to buy groceries with Miyuki-chan! Do you want to come along?"

Quickly making a decision, Conan ran out of his room – a guest bedroom had been converted for him – and peered down the railings, "No, thank you, Aya-san! I've got a book I want to finish reading."

"That Sherlock Holmes book again?" Aya-san sighed, "You need to return it to the library by the end of the week, so make sure you've read it by then. And if you go out, take the spare keys with you. You know where I keep them, yes?"

"Yes," Conan nodded, "see you! Bye, Miyuki-chan!"

"Bye, Dai-nii-chan!" Miyuki-chan waved from her perch on her mother's hip.

Conan was very grateful, and humbled, by Aya-san's trust in him. In the two weeks he'd lived with them, she'd treated him as her own son, showing him where she kept her safe, her spare keys, the emergency money pouch – everything.

True, he might have proved her innocence in a murder case, and looked after her daughter faithfully when she went out to work, but that was a great deal of trust she placed in a strange boy she'd abruptly adopted into her family. At that moment, Conan vowed to never break that trust in her.

Even though he was tangled up in this huge case, he would make sure they would never trace him back to them. He would lie to her about many things in the future, he knew, but he would never betray her or Miyuki in any way that could cause them harm. He would keep them safe from _Them_.

Waiting for about ten minutes, when he was sure they would not be returning, he went to retrieve the spare keys. While he could have always told Aya-san that he was going out, this outing served a different purpose.

He first made a trip to the old coin-locker he'd stored his gadgets and money in, and withdrew a large amount of cash. Aya-san usually gave him quite a bit of pocket money to spend, which he saved inside the locker, but it would not be enough for what he was planning to buy. Catching a bus to go to the other side of the city, Conan made himself comfortable on the plush leather seats.

Absently, Conan made a note to find another job. He could not keep using Aya-san's money if he needed it for his case or investigations. And the money he'd earned when he'd lived on the streets would get depleted sooner than later. The job would have to be suitable too, he couldn't leave the house early morning to deliver papers or spend the day babysitting when he had school. He'd also have to tell Aya-san about it. Best to think about it later…

"Next stop, Harajuku. Next stop, Harajuku. All those who wish to get off, please press the bell."

When the mechanical voice rang out, Conan immediately pressed the bell, moving stand near the doors. Harajuku was a famous shopping centre with the most popular fashion and styles available in almost every shop. Interspersed between these clothing stores, one could even find a few costume stores, the one where most schools rented their dresses from, for school plays. Luckily, these stores also sold make-up.

A bit of skin foundation that would make his skin darker and Fuyuhiko Daichi's identity would remain separate from Edogawa Conan's. Kudo Yukiko had taught her son enough about make-up and disguises to make it possible for Conan to pull it off.

It was as Conan was leaving the store, box of foundation – water proof, he did not want his own sweat to rub it off and give him away – carefully stored in his jean pocket, that he saw them. The Shounen Tantei-dan were here, in Harajuku.

Conan blinked, _'What are they doing?'_

Spying a notebook in Mitsuhiko's hand – the detective notebook they all carried, Conan realised – he understood what they were here for.

"Huh, it's a case, is it?" Conan smirked.

Unable to help himself, knowing how many times they'd solved cases together when he was Conan, he walked over to them. He missed them, truthfully, and a chance to be their friend again, even if it was as 'Daichi', was appealing.

"Hey," Conan called out, "what are you doing?"

The notebook snapped shut at his arrival, Conan had barely taken a peek, and the three of them turned to face him with innocent smiles.

"Oh, it's you, Daichi-kun!" Ayumi exclaimed in surprise.

"We ain't doing anything," Genta denied at the same time.

He could understand the sentiment; they used to be a group along with Conan and now that he is no longer with them, allowing Daichi, or anyone else to solve cases with them would not be the same. However, if they would not include him, he would just have to be that much persistent.

_'How ironic,_ ' Conan thought, _'that the first time around, Ayumi had forcefully dragged me along to be friends with her, Mitsuhiko and Genta. And now, **I'm** the one who is determined to be friends with them.'_

"You're looking for someone's wallet, aren't you?"

Conan's statement brought gasps of surprise from all three of them.

"How did you –?" Mitsuhiko stuttered uncertainly.

Conan gave them a smile, "It's all in that notebook of yours. There was a rough map drawn of the area, with tiny circles around the route. You also had a number written at the top of the page."

They were listening raptly to his explanation now, their expressions very familiar to what Conan had seen when he presented his deductions.

"6800. That can be neither a phone number, nor a bus or train number. Therefore it's an amount, of money. The map must be the route they travelled by, the circles could be places they visited. Thus, you're looking for someone's wallet around here, yes?"

"You're right, Daichi-kun," Mitsuhiko said, "Sumire-san from class 1-D asked us to look for her older sister's wallet. She'd misplaced it somewhere along this route yesterday, and she couldn't find it."

"We asked at the police station first," Genta said, "but tha' keiji said no one had brought in a wallet in the past few days at all!"

"Hmm, so may I join you? I may be able to help a bit," Conan suggested.

The three appeared uncertain for a while. Turning their backs to him, they huddled close to converse with each other, their voices too soft to reach Conan's ears. In the end however, they agreed and Conan joined the group, and for the first time in weeks, he was once again investigating with his little friends.

* * *

It took them two more hours before they found it, dropped between a few bushes in the park when Sumire-chan's sister had stopped to rest.

"That was great!" Mitsuhiko told him, "You could be a good detective you know!"

_'I already **am** a detective,'_ Conan thought wryly.

"Yeah, you're not too bad," Genta gave him a toothy grin.

"He was a wonderful detective!" Ayumi beamed, "You should join us."

"We're the Shounen Tantei-dan!" Mitsuhiko announced proudly,

"No case is hard for us!" Genta proclaimed, his chest puffed out.

"Really?" Conan's eyes widened, ' _I did not expect this at all!'_

"Yeah, we'd love to have you Conan-kun!" Ayumi said cheerfully.

"T-Thank you!" then he froze, ' _W-What did they just call me?_ '

Meanwhile, their faces turned triumphant.

"I knew it!" Ayumi said in a hushed voice.

Genta and Mitsuhiko were silently watching for his reaction.

"Ah, you must be mistaken, I'm _Daichi_. Fuyuhiko Daichi."

"Nah, you're Conan," Genta asserted, "I can tell it!"

"All those deductions," Mitsuhiko continued, "that particular way in which you change the tone of your voice when you're with us, there's no mistake."

"Ayumi thought she was only imagining it," the girl whispered softly, as if to be any louder would shatter the moment, "but Daichi-kun feels so much like Conan-kun…"

"I'm sure you're making a mistake," Conan tried to point out, only to be cut off.

"Ayumi is not mistaken! Ayumi can recognise Conan-kun anywhere!"

Perhaps it was the visible desperation in their faces, or the undeniable hope, Conan didn't know, but he conceded to it.

"Yes," he whispered, "I'm Edogawa Conan."

The four of them quickly adjourned to a more private place than the footpath, seating themselves down under the shade of a huge Peepal tree.

"Am I really so recognisable?" Conan asked as soon as they huddled close.

"No, actually," Mitsuhiko shook his head, "without your glasses and that tan, we didn't recognise you at all…it's just…"

"You acted a lot like Conan-kun around us," Ayumi tried to put into words and failed, "It was just a feeling,"

"But," Genta began, confused, "why did you go away?"

And wasn't that the most difficult question of all? Why did Conan go away? Without any prior notice, without even saying goodbye? What should he _tell_ them?

More lies? No, he'd had enough of it. As Conan, being around the Shounen Tantei-dan was the only time he didn't have to hide his obvious intelligence. And the kids had accepted him, odd quirks and all. To lie to _them_ …

But he couldn't tell them the truth either. Not the complete truth anyway, but a half-truth perhaps…?

"I need you to listen to me carefully," Conan began, "and no interruptions!"

When the three of them nodded, he continued, "I'm on a case. A very huge case, where it is necessary for me to hide."

"Are you in danger, Conan-kun?" Ayumi whispered carefully, interrupting despite his admonishment.

"No," Conan lied to reassure her, "just a very difficult case. That's why you can't call me Conan-kun any more. I am Daichi-kun now."

"So Daichi-kun is your cover then?" Mitsuhiko tried to understand, "like Clark Kent was for Superman?"

Conan chuckled at the comparison before pausing thoughtfully. What the young detective said actually made sense. He could technically keep his Daichi persona for a perfectly normal civilian life, while Conan could be his detective front. All it would require was a removal of make-up and donning on his glasses, bow-tie and suit. Very Superman-ly…

_'An alias for an alias,_ ' Conan thought wryly, "You're right, Mitsuhiko. So, no telling anyone my true identity, okay?"

"Not even Agasa Hakase?" Genta asked, "Or Ran-nee-chan?"

Conan froze, eyes closing painfully at that, then nodded, "Yes, not even them. _No one_ can know, okay? Only the three of you. Promise me?"

Immediately, determined expressions appeared on their faces.

"Yes, of course, Daichi-kun!" Mitsuhiko declared.

Conan smiled proudly, ' _Already they're using my alias. They may grow up to be really good detectives in the future.'_

"But, Co – Daichi," Genta hastily corrected, "You're still joining the Shounen Tantei-dan, yeah?"

"Of course," Conan assured him, "I wouldn't leave you guys for anything. That's why I returned to Teitan, you know?"

His words nearly brought his young friends to tears due to joy, but they contained it. As they took the bus home, all four of them, standing side by side; it almost felt like everything was normal again.

_'No,'_ Conan realised as he took in their happy faces, ' _not yet. It won't be till I bring down those men in black and their organisation, but it is much better now. I'd truly missed them; having them back feels like…'_

"Hey, Daichi!" Genta spoke up then, getting the name right this time, "Wanna go for an ice-cream? Or a bowl of unaju?"

"Mou, Genta-kun!" Mitsuhiko groaned, "We're going to be having dinner soon!"

_'Same old Genta!_ ' Conan laughed delightfully at his friend's persisting innocence, "Sure! Let's go for ice-cream. My treat,"

At his final words, even Ayumi and Mitsuhiko perked up and agreed joyously. Nothing's better that free ice-cream, after all.

* * *

The next day dawned. Everything remained the same. Applying a very light make-up, deciding to change its colour tone gradually so as not to be obvious, he got ready for school. Bidding Aya-san and Miyuki goodbye, he caught a bus to Teitan Primary School. There, for the first time since he'd become Daichi, he was greeted by friends. It certainly came as a surprise to Kobayashi-sensei, but she was pleased to see the kids happy.

It was as he returned from school that he decided to give Ran a call. It had been more than a month since he'd last talked to her and he was probably as anxious as her to hear from her. Now that he no longer lived with her, he could feel the worry he knew for sure Ran must have felt at Shinichi's infrequent calls.

Occupying a lonely phone booth at the end of a desolated road, he dialled her number. She picked up almost immdediately.

"Hello?"

"Yo, Ran. It's me."

"Shinichi!" she nearly squealed in happiness.

"Hey…"

"Don't you 'hey' me! It's been more than a month since you called! Do you know that? Sending flowers is not going to make me feel any better about your absence! Also, ever since Conan-kun has returned back, I am feeling quite lonely…"

Of course, that was expected. When Conan had been there, she could divert her mind and attention onto her new found 'brother', but with both Conan and Shinichi gone, her mind constantly worried.

"I know; I'm sorry." Conan paused, wondering what to tell her.

The truth was a certain 'no', but now that he wasn't – couldn't be – there beside her, to protect her, she needed to know something at least.

"Listen, Ran," Conan said urgently, "I'm on a case –"

"I know," Ran interrupted forlornly, "that's what you've been telling me every time you call. I just wished you called more often."

"No, Ran," Conan denied, "listen carefully. I'm about to tell you something very important. Something you can't tell anyone."

"What's wrong?" there was worry in her voice now,

"I'm not on different cases, just the one case."

"One case?" Ran was sceptical, "And it's taking you so long?"

"It's a difficult case. And dangerous. I – I can't meet you, or see you because of this case. I'm in hiding."

There was silence on the other end.

"Is that why your parents have returned back?"

"My parents –?" Conan began in confusion, before it struck him. ' _Oh no! Could that be…? Did I misunderstand…?'_

Conan gulped before answering, "Yes. That's why I can't call you so often either. So, Ran, I want you to promise me one thing. Don't speak about me to anyone. If anyone asks about me, tell them you don't know anything. _Anyone_."

"Anyone?"

"Yes; be it a client or a friend or a neighbour…anyone! If word gets out somehow, my case…my case will be jeopardized."

"Shinichi…" Ran struggled with words, "You – you are not in danger, are you?"

"Not any more than usual," Conan quipped,

"Shinichi! Be serious!"

"Seriously, Ran. Not any more than usual. And don't worry; I am safe and completely fine. And I'll return back to you soon enough, okay?"

"Okay," Ran whispered.

"Oh, and Ran," Conan remembered, "Did Kaa-san or Tou-san tell you something?"

"Oh no, they just asked me to tell them if you called." Ran paused then, remembering his previous order of not telling 'anyone', "Should I tell them?"

"No," Conan grit his teeth, "I'll call them myself. Like I said, Ran, don't tell _anyone_."

They talked of trivial matters then; school, Sonoko, the soccer club, the lack of regular cases her father has had since Conan disappeared (Conan had laughed at that, while Ran berated him, "He was Otou-san's lucky charm!").

When he finally disconnected the call, he felt relieved. Talking to Ran had always felt therapeutic; she simply had that effect on him.

What had irked him however, was the mention of his parents. Because that had been the final clue he needed to realize what that mask had been – The Night Baron! That left Edogawa Fumiyo, who could be none other than Kudo Yukiko.

And if his reasoning was correct, which it was, then the whole kidnapping had been a set-up. And the only way they could have learned anything about him was through Hakase.

Anger bubbled in his chest. How dare they! He'd been terrified out of his wits and worried to death about Hakase. The letter he'd composed and sent to Agasa Hakase out of concern for him – now knowing that the Hakase had been part of this plan, it galled him. But then, taking a calming breath, Conan smirked.

' _Okay, Tou-san, Kaa-san, if that's how you want to play it. Because what is done is done. Even though I know the truth now, I cannot return. Edogawa Conan has left the Mouri's, and Fuyuhiko Daichi has already made his place in society. The goal remains the same. I will fight to bring down that vile organisation. Only, now I no longer have access to cases as 'Sleeping Kogoro.' It is a challenge, a hurdle; but I will overcome it.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so...thoughts? Reactions? Let me know...am I going too fast? Is the plot line feeling rushed? Anything not making sense?
> 
> Also, just wanted to let you guys know - here the Detective Boys are playing Heiji's role. Like, Conan became more sneakier and better at hiding secrets after Heiji deduced that he was Kudo, right? So, they are the catalysts here, to make Daichi more hidden about his secrets, so that no one else will ever figure him out. Also, considering they did not have to take into account any 'shrinking', the deduction that Conan and Daichi were the same was easy for the kids. It took them a few weeks, but yes, they did find out.
> 
> By the way, guys, there are people like Tsuchida Aya - who would trust so easily. I've met a couple of them myself, and the total belief they have in humanity and that we would not betray them - it is staggering, that innocence...


	3. A Challenge From The West

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> well, it didn't turn out to be much of a challenge from the west in the end - more like a challenge *to* the west

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay. So, I'm horrible and insensitive and a jerk for making you guys wait for so long...but damn, I really wanted to live up
> 
> to the expectations you've placed on this story and I hope I'm doing justice.
> 
> FEEDBACK - please, after so long, I need to know if this is any good. PLEASE!
> 
> Do let me know how you liked it!
> 
> Enjoy~
> 
> .
> 
> "Dialogues"
> 
> 'Thoughts'
> 
> .
> 
> TO Disconsolate Mist: Thanks a lot for helping me revise this story! Without your help and constant encouragement, I would not be posting this chapter now! Thank you so much!
> 
> .

It had been hard for Conan to accept the fact that all this could have been avoided if his parents had confronted him normally, instead of setting up that farce of a kidnapping. The anger he felt was justified, and though he knew that his parents would be worrying about him, he could not find it in himself to call them and talk about it.

It was irrational, but as long as the hurt and anger simmered in his veins, it was best to refrain from calling them and let himself cool down first. Besides, the letter he'd sent to Hakase would have at least reassured them that he was safe, even if the reason for all that cautiousness was a moot point, now that he realised the truth.

One thing that he'd realized from the whole 'kidnapping' was that the amount of danger he or anyone close to him could be in. Now, even though he knew that it was staged by his parents, he would be taking this lesson to heart and never letting anyone know his true identity – as Conan or Shinichi – when he was Daichi (Detective Boys notwithstanding).

So, in an attempt to divert his mind from truth of the events that was that fateful kidnapping, Conan had thrown himself into research. The Shounen Tantei-dan, never one to let Conan hog cases for himself, had demanded that they be allowed to help. And with the danger factor now considerably reduced, as well as the fact that this was mere research, he had complied.

Thus, the four primary school students had ensconced themselves in a corner of the vast library in Beika, glancing through newspapers and articles for any odd, unsolved cases in the past couple of years.

"Why unsolved cases, Co – Daichi-kun?" Ayumi had asked.

"Because, this criminal has committed a crime before, and since he has not yet been caught, there must a mention of it somewhere in the papers,"

"Is it a murder case then?" Mitsuhiko questioned, "You usually solve those cases with," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "with Mouri-no-oji-san, don't you?"

Conan chuckled, "Not necessarily, it could be anything,"

And that was true. When Shinichi had encountered the men in black the first time, they were carrying out an illegal transaction at Tropical Land. They had also murdered, undoubtedly, he'd gotten that vibe from Gin almost immediately. Who knew what else were involved in?

Two hours later, the children had had enough. And really, that they had lasted two whole hours was a commendable feat. But in the end, they were kids and staying still in a place to research did not comply with their boundless energy that demanded them to play out in the open. But they did have a few results to show for their work. Sifting through the news articles, all four of them had listed down quite a few unsolved and mysterious cases.

"Yosh, let's go and play football now!" Genta cheered.

"Yes! Let's go!" Ayumi agreed, "You're coming along, ne, Daichi-kun?"

Conan smiled, "Of course, it's been a while since we've played football together. Be prepared, I'm not going to go easy on you."

"That's fine!" Mitsuhiko said happily, "As long as you're playing…"

* * *

Tsujimura Toshimitsu had been a college professor in his youth; a decent job with a decent pay. He'd married a respectable woman who had given birth to a son, Tsujimura Isao, who had grown up to be a diplomat.

This much was well known to the public if one bothered to search for it. But when Conan had come upon a case, as he read through old newspapers in the library along with Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Genta, that listed Tsujimura Toshimitsu as a witness to a bank robbery, he knew he had to pry deeper.

The robbery had taken place _five_ years ago, but one did not forget such traumatic incidents easily. The main point was that the robbers had not been apprehended – robbers who wore all black and carried guns with them. That did not say much really, as most criminals wore dark clothing, but it was something to check out nonetheless, as an unsolved crime.

Those particular robbers may or may not be a part of the organisation, but he could leave no stone unturned. Thus, shedding his Fuyuhiko Daichi persona – and applying a generous amount of concealer all over himself to make his skin look paler than Daichi's yet persistent tan – Edogawa Conan had been revived. He had taken the dusty suit to a coin-operated Laundromat to clean and dry it and worn his complimentary white button-up and grey trouser-shorts to go with it. The red bow-tie was also back on his collar, as were the glasses.

Looking into a mirror at the public restroom, he was astounded at the difference he saw. Conan smiled; it was a perfect. He looked exactly like the old Conan, with no hint of Daichi peeking through. Making sure to place all other important accessories in his coat pockets – money, house keys, detective badge (it was his only means of communication now as he no longer had a mobile, even if it was only with the kids), the suspenders too – he then strapped his watch upon his wrist and walked out of the rest room.

While it was not necessary to carry all his gadgets with him, it gave him a sense of security. That should he be in any sort of dangerous situation, he was not completely vulnerable. Never did he want to feel the amount of helplessness as he had when his parents had decided to play that prank on him.

That had been frightening on a whole other level, something that left him feeling vulnerable even days after the incident. The fear had taken root so deeply in his mind that, had they not been his parents, it was likely that he would never have taken on the identity of Edogawa Conan again.

The reason he went as Conan and not Daichi, was that he wished to keep their lives as separate as possible. He did not want Daichi and his new family, the Tsuchida's, to face any consequences of Conan's actions.

First making his way to the bank; the site of crime; he started a conversation with one of the patrons, childishly inquiring about their purpose here and how long they'd been coming to this particular branch. Out of all those he'd interviewed, consciously enough to not rouse any undue suspicions, only a few of them had been coming since five years. And none of them had been present at the robbery half a decade ago.

After enquiring at the closest police station – which had not yielded any more information than what he'd gleaned from the library – he headed to a café to eat.

"Damn, it's nearly 1:00 pm," Conan muttered, "I should go make that call to Tsujimura –"

Stopping suddenly, Conan realised that he'd never called Ran. Not as Shinichi, but as _Conan_.

 _'The need for security had been paramount then,_ ' Conan exhaled, _'but now that I know I'm not truly in any danger, I should call Ran as Conan and tell her that I'm safe…and what about Edogawa Fumiyo?'_ He scratched his head in frustration, ' _Damn it, Kaa-san! Creating unnecessary problems! What should I say now? That I'm living with her? If so, then where? And why am I not in school any longer?_ '

Conan plopped down on a chair at the only empty table left at the outdoor café – Machiko's Sunday Specials, which boasted the best coffee in the area and the reason Conan had chosen it – and pulled out his notebook. Flipping through the pages to come upon Tsujimura Toshimitsu's number, he decided to let the matter of Ran and Conan rest.

"Hey, kid," a cheerful waiter asked him, "Are you alone?"

Conan looked up, giving the man a smile, "Aa, I'll have an iced-coffee, please. And a large sandwich."

"Okay," the man looked slightly doubtful at a kid ordering a caffeinated brew, but complied to the requests of the customer, "it's lunch time now, and we're in a bit of rush. It will take a while, is it alright?"

"Sure," Conan chirped, "take your time!"

Besides, he planned to sit here and go over his notes for a while; it would be no bother to him at all.

"I'm going to make a call at that pay phone there," Conan pointed at a booth around the corner of the street, "so don't give my seat away to anyone, okay Onii-san?"

"No problem, kid," the waiter laughed.

That done, Conan made his way to the phone and dialled in Tsujimura Toshimitsu's number. Clearing his throat, he attempted to deepen his voice without his bow-tie,

"Hello, Tsujimura Toshimitsu-san?"

"Yes," the old man answered, "Who am I speaking to?"

"This is Edogawa Conan, a detective," the man gave a surprised sound at that and Conan hurried, "please, do not worry. I only wish to speak to you about a bank robbery you were witness to some five years ago."

"Five years?" Toshimitsu asked, "That's a long time…"

"Well, it is necessary for a certain investigation of mine and any details you could tell me about the incident would be great,"

"Well," the man seemed to hesitate before agreeing, "Okay. That's fine, lad. I'll be at my son's place today. Come over at three, is it acceptable?"

"Perfectly," Conan smiled, "thank you, Tsujimura-san. I will meet you at 3:00 pm then."

Taking down the address for Tsujimura Isao's house, Conan set the receiver down. Conan debated over calling Ran, but remembering that she'd still be in school at the moment, he decided against it. Later, perhaps. Now, he had to kill some time before his appointment.

* * *

 _'Man,'_ Heiji sighed, adjusting his carry bag as his shoulder ached slightly _, 'Tokyo streets sure are confusing. Luck is not on my side today.'_

Hattori Heiji, Great Detective of the West, had arrived in Tokyo early morning. Speaking to a few random Teitan students had confirmed his suspicions – Kudo was nowhere to be found. He'd spent a while pondering his next course of action, but ultimately decided to take a break and think over it first. If nothing came of it, he'd have to visit the Mouri family – Kogoro's sudden rise to fame had to have some connection with Kudo. Not to mention the Suzuki girl's insinuation that Mouri Ran was Kudo's girlfriend…

"Let's have lunch first," Heiji decided, walking determinedly to the nearest café he'd spotted, "Tha' Mouri girl mustn't have come home from school yet, anyway."

Unfortunately the café was filled. Heiji sighed and wondered if it was worth waiting to see if a table cleared up or if he should just go find another café when one empty booth entered his field of vision.

 _'Well,_ ' Heiji shrugged, ' _Looks like luck is on my side fer lunch at least.'_

* * *

Okay, so Heiji took back what he said. He was not lucky. When he found out from the waiter that the table was already taken by a young kid, he'd been fine with sharing it. The table could seat four, what was one more kid? Having a six year old in a pretentious blue suit and red bow-tie blink up curiously at him as he gobbled his way through his lunch was creepy though.

Heiji had never been good with kids, but he knew that none of them were ever so quiet. The kid wasn't shy – he conversed quite well with the waiter – but around Heiji, he was surprisingly tight-lipped. And that was a good thing, seeing how Heiji wanted little to do with his accidental lunch companion, but if only he wouldn't _stare_ at him so!

 _'Geez,_ ' Heiji sighed, ' _Kids…I'll never understand them.'_

Heiji had just thought he might escape talking to the kid at all, when the brat spoke up at last.

"Did Onii-san find them?"

"Huh?" Heiji blinked, then smirked, "Find them? What makes you think I was looking for someone?"

The boy shrugged, a small grin on his lips that quickly disappeared behind his glass of ice-tea. Oh, this might just turn out to be good, Heiji thought in glee – an aspiring detective? He knew he was quite similar when he used to be a kid.

"Onii-san's accent makes it sound like he's from the Kansai region," the kid began, "so what's he doing in Tokyo? Especially on a school day?"

Then tone changing, he began to speak less childishly, "You've obviously come for a reason. There's a map sticking out of your bag, so you were trying to go somewhere. If you'd arranged to meet someone, you'd have called them for directions. But here you are, wandering about for quite some time, so they don't know you're looking for them probably."

"Spot on so far," Heiji nodded with a grin, taking a huge gulp of his water, "And wha' else?"

At the clear encouragement, the boy perked up, "Might have come early too, since the only trains from Kansai to Tokyo is the one that arrives at 8:am, 10:am and two hours henceforth. This cafe's not anywhere near the station, so you've been wandering. Question is, did you find them?"

Heiji barked out a laugh, "Yer gonna become a good detective when ya grow up, bozu. Ever thought of that?"

Surprisingly, the boy scowled, "I _am_ a detective! I won't become one when I grow up, because I already am…" Then perhaps realizing that it sounded kiddish, he narrowed his eyes, "That's not all I deduced, you know."

"Yeah?"

"Next question is, why? Why come to Tokyo at all? You're in you teens – sixteen, seventeen? – Looking for a relative, an estranged one perhaps? No, not on a school day. You've come by yourself too, no family – you're not here for pleasure, but for work. All the way in Tokyo? Putting that together...an amateur detective, working on a case. And a good one, if you're only in high school. Not a high profile case though, there's no police involved – infidelity, perhaps, or missing person..."

At this, Heiji sat back and stared.

* * *

A bit astonished at where his own mind led him, Conan stopped talking. He'd known the moment the dark skinned teen sat down; a puzzle could never be left unsolved by his constantly whirring mind. But, putting words to his subconsciously made deductions and telling them to said teen had just made him realize that it might have not been the best thing to do.

The teen was a detective! He knew detectives – curiosity was their middle name! Show them just a hint of a mystery and they'd follow it to its source. What was he thinking spouting deductions like that?

 _'Oh, I knew what I was thinking,'_ Conan sighed, _'We humans, we're such creatures of_ ** _habit_** _. Without a case, without a mystery, I am so constantly jittery that even the smallest chance to use my abilities...and I pounced on it. I'll have to be cautious from here on…'_

The noise of chair scraping against the tiled ground brought Conan out of his thoughts. The other detective was now watching him shrewdly. He suddenly leaned forward in his seat, a hand turning his baseball cap so that its tip faced forward, and he settled down with a calculating look in his eye. Then he spoke:

"That suit of yours; kid sized, fits perfectly and yer comfortable in it. Tha's expensive too, definitely not bought in a thrift store. Rich. Yer used to such comforts. Yer alone here, so yer independent. Parents mus' be away a lot; plus those glasses."

The teen leaned forward then, peering at the spectacles in question with concentration, "Eh, can't really make it out. I'd say ya don't have a number, or ya _do_ but probably in only one eye. Yer six – seven? – so probably genetic or ya read too much. Could be a bit of both. Bow-tie and watch; _fancy_. Ya like ta show off," here he grinned, clearly understanding the need to be in the spotlight, "and with all tha' deducing ya jus' did. Mystery-lover, geek. Gotta admit I was wrong – yer pretty much a detective already."

Conan quickly closed his unattractively gaping mouth. He leaned behind in his seat, shaking his head with a small laugh, _'Detective, I was right.'_

The Osakan turned his cap backwards again and smiled sharply, "Hattori Heiji."

"Edogawa Conan," Conan grinned back.

"Nice seeing ya, bozu," Hattori said, getting up, "I'm off fer now." And he turned away. Without looking back, he continued, "Also, nah. Not yet found him, but won't take me long now!"

 _'_ ** _Him_** _, eh?'_ Conan raised an eyebrow as he watched his fellow detective make his way to the cashier, _'Must be quite the case if he came all the way to Tokyo for it.'_

* * *

No, no, no! This was _not_ happening!

"Upstairs?" A very familiar voice rang out.

"Yes, please come."

Tsujimura-san got up, "Boya, I'll be back, alright? That's my daughter-in-law just now. I'll greet her and come back."

"Okay," Conan answered, and the old man closed the door to the sitting room behind him.

He'd been questioning the old man with little success since the past half hour, but considering the robbery had been five years ago, he truly hadn't expected much. He'd been about to wrap this whole thing up too, and now...and now, _they_ show up? He was so not prepared for this!

The voice of Mouri Kogoro had been progressively growing louder and Conan was half in a mind to just make a dash for it – politeness be damned. However, only a minute later, the voices faded and the old man returned to the room.

"Conan-kun, would you mind moving this to the guest room?"

The detective smiled up at him, "Oh, it's okay, Tsujimura-san! I'm all done now! I was just going to leave."

The elderly man blinked, but said nothing against that proclamation. Conan trotted down the stairs, where the grandson of the old man and his girlfriend were standing, the man having a mutinous expression on his face.

"Oh, leaving already, Conan-kun?"

"Yeah!" Conan nodded, "I already talked with Oji-san, so I'm going now! See you!"

Conan wanted nothing more to leave. Showing his face to Mouri Kogoro would unravel a whole other ball of yarn – a part of him was curious as to the older detective's presence, but he brushed it off. Could be a simple case of fraudulent activities or something similar. But, what made him truly hesitate, made him want to turn back and run up the stairs, was the second pair of shoes he has at the door.

 _'Ran!'_ Conan bit his lip, _'She's here...so close, and yet…'_

* * *

"Wait, what?! It can't be Oji-sama!" Toshiro cried, "It can't!"

"Ya got proof of that?" Heiji asked.

The vehement denial made Heiji doubt his own words, even though it was the only explanation that made sense at the moment.

Honestly, Heiji did not expect to get entangled in a case. He'd gone to Mouri Detective Agency in the hopes that the girl would be able to give him some clue about Kudo. But no, she'd remained tight-lipped about the entire damn thing!

All he could be convinced about was that Kudo was alive. From the way Mouri was acting, it was like she'd been told to keep her silence – pointedly ignoring all questions about the detective and changing the topic when he was brought up. By whom, though? By Kudo himself?

That would make sense, if not for the fact that Mouri Kogoro seemed to be as clueless and unwilling to give up information on his daughter's boyfriend (something he was starting to doubt now). Would a grown man not worry about his daughter being in a relationship with someone who was constantly absent? Would he even try to cover up for such a person?

No. Heiji was sure there was something else going on here, something – most probably – only the girl knew about. He'd been about to leave the Agency, more questions in his mind than he'd arrived with, when the woman had come in with a case. Then...well, he'd hoped that Kudo would show his face – unless Mouri-han was truly the one solving cases, something which seemed highly improbable so far. Not a shred of genius in the man – but neither the girl nor anyone else was waiting for any such occurrence.

Kudo Shinichi, for all intents and purposes, had completely vanished.

_And no one seemed to give a damn._

Heiji turned his attention back to the case then – the old geezer had said nothing to defend himself, but his grandchild had been ready to do so in his stead.

"Yes," Toshiro's girlfriend spoke up, "Oji-sama went nowhere close to Otou-sama's study. Ever since he came, he's been sitting in the upstairs spare room with that little boy."

"Little boy?" Megure-keibu raised a brow, looking over to the Toshimitsu-san, "Is that so?"

"Who was the kid?" Heiji asked, "Also, why were ya with him?"

"A little boy, Conan-kun, he said his name was," the elderly man sighed, "he wanted to ask me something – about a bank robbery that happened five years ago."

Heiji blinked, _'Conan? What are the odds…?'_

Heiji doubted there were many kids who'd wander around by themselves, asking old men about bank robbery cases. The "why" though, was pushed away when he saw the Mouri family and the Inspector blink in surprise, taken aback by the answer.

"Oi, Mouri-kun, didn't you say that the kid had returned home?" Megure's hissed question was answered with a silent nod and the inspector turned towards Toshimitsu again, "Describe the boy, please."

"Describe?" The old man parroted in surprise, "Why? The child has nothing to do with the case, does he?"

"No, no! Nothing to worry about. Just routine questions."

Ran seemed to be hanging onto every word the old man said now – Heiji was quite interested in the answer as well – to think that the boy from the cafe had been here...coincidence? What was intriguing though, was that this "kid" seemed to be rather well known, if even the police inspector knew him.

"Young, about seven years old, I'd say," Toshimitsu-san said,using his hand to indicate the child's height, "Had big glasses on. Short, black hair – some strands sticking out in the front– Toshiro, what do we call that?"

"A cowlick," the grandson supplied.

"Ah, yes. That." The man turned back to the inspector, "We were talking for quite some time. He left just after you came though –"

"He left?!" Ran exclaimed, her expression crestfallen.

Heiji turned away from that. Alright, so the old geezer has an alibi. _'Not him then – what have I missed? What clue have I overlooked? I need to go over this from the top once again.'_ Heiji tuned out the inspector's conversation then, as he went over the case again.

_'It's one of them! It has to be...this is_ **_not_ ** _a suicide!'_

* * *

When Edogawa Fumiyo had turned up at her doorstep all those weeks ago, a part of Ran had been glad. It meant that Conan-kun would be with his family again. After all, no child wishes to remain apart from his own mother for an extended period, right? But not Conan-kun – he'd behaved in a very _odd_ manner – seeming to want to be as far as possible from the woman as he could.

Then, after leaving, the vague promises of calls and visits were totally forgotten. It had been more than two months now, and she'd not heard from Conan-kun at all! Then, all of a sudden, this old man who has been accused of a crime speaks up about him – his only alibi. The singular proof of his innocence.

Ran didn't know what to think of this. What did this mean – had Conan-kun been in the city all this time? Why hadn't he visited? Or called? Children tend to forget quickly, but surely he wouldn't forget them so easily?

' _He'd come alone, too,'_ Ran realised then, _'All alone to visit Toshimitsu-san, regarding a – bank robbery? – Strange...was that something any mother would allow their seven year old child to do?'_

But, on the other hand, Conan had always been strangely independent from the get go.

 _'Something...something is not right here!'_ Ran worried her lower lip between her teeth, _'Ever since that woman appeared, everything's gone crazy! First Yusaku-san and Yukiko-san, then Shinichi's call. I...don't know what to do…'_

And wasn't that the biggest dilemma? What could she do? She was no detective, and she didn't know if she should involve Shinichi's parents in this mess. She remembered though, that Agasa Hakase had said Conan-kun was the nephew of a distant relative. So, perhaps the Kudo's might know something? It wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?

"Ran." The hand on her shoulder jerked her out of her thoughts, "The case is over. Come, let's go."

"Actually, could ya wait a sec?" The dark-skinned detective, Hattori Heiji (Shinichi's self-proclaimed rival, she thought with amusement and a little melancholy) stepped up to them, pointing his thumb over his shoulder, "When that old man said tha' a kid was with him the entire time...ya guys seemed pretty convinced. Mouri-tantei, isn't it correct procedure ta ignore alibi statements without physical proof? All of them could have been makin' it all up. Fictional character, and all tha'..."

"No! Of course not! Conan-kun is real!" Ran seemed pretty surprised at her own outburst, and spoke softer, "I mean...we _know_ Conan-kun. He used to live with us until a couple of months ago. He described him perfectly!"

"Hmm, well," Hattori turned his baseball cap backwards, "just to make sure, could'ja give me his number?"

"Number?" Ran blinked, "I – what? Hattori-kun, I'm sorry, I can't do that."

* * *

 _'Ah well,_ ' Hattori shrugged, _'It was a long shot anyway...besides, there's no reason for me to want that bozu's number aside from curiosity.'_

Hattori shrugged off the girl's questions with ease, citing some vague reason as wanting to check up on the man's alibi – but, really, it was complete bull. He'd already found the killer, there was no need for the kid's number. It was also a testament to how distracted the girl was that she didn't even question him as he left.

Honestly, this trip to Tokyo was a waste. He'd hoped to make some headway in his investigation; even the smallest clue about Kudo would do. Naturally, 'Sleeping Kogoro' and his sudden rise to fame had captured his interest, but if he was honest, even the hype around the older detective had died down in the past couple of months – just a small period of fame, and suddenly it was gone.

Why? Was he simply making a mountain of a molehill, or was there truly more to this that he'd not yet uncovered?

_'...we_ **_know_ ** _Conan-kun. He used to live with us until a couple of months ago…'_

Heiji paused. Wait...Conan-kun! That kid he'd met at the cafe, the kid who'd taken a glance at him and his belongings and immediately guessed what he'd come to Tokyo for!

 _'No,'_ Heiji corrected himself, _'not guessed, deduced. And he'd been living with the Mouri's huh? Only 'till a couple of months ago, too… There's something there that is important; the kid and the Mouri's...needs more lookin' into.'_

"Move it, move it – don't stand in the middle of the street!"

Heiji muttered an excuse as he stepped away, his gaze falling upon the street sign as he took stock of where he'd ended up, randomly walking as he had been.

_Beika District, Fifth Street._

"Heh, back to the Detective Agency. Geez, where do you go from here to reach the station again?" Unfortunately, seeing no road sign, Heiji was just about to pull out his map when a rather fancy car sped down the drive, "Oi! Speed limits, ya idiots!"

Naturally, the driver ignored him. The teen cursed under his breath, stopping when something caught his attention.

 _'It's heading right towards that lane,'_ Heiji realised, seeing the car take a sudden turn. His brow furrowed, 'What are the chances that their destination is the Mouri Detective Agency?'

To be honest, Fifth Street was not a high class housing society. The buildings were modest, and many residential areas were above small cafes and shops. A fancy car like that? What would it come here for when its only options were a detective agency, a family restaurant, and a salon? Really, out of the three viable options, the first was most likely, especially with the speed it travelled by.

 _'Well,'_ Heiji narrowed his eyes, _'no harm in checking it out. Besides, I just remembered, I've yet ta check if Kudo might have returned home. Tha' girl would know his address, right? Then again, she might not give it ta me.'_

* * *

"Ran-chan, please!"

Yusaku narrowed his eyes when his son's friend began to look slightly uncomfortable under his wife's constant questions. Also, he could see the stirring of suspicion in her eyes. They were, after all, Shinichi's parents; why would they be completely clueless as to his whereabouts? To come all the way to her home even, to ask her about him.

"Yukiko-san," Ran said, a bit helplessly, "I haven't heard from him since a long time now! Also," she frowned, "I wanted to ask you about something...do you know Conan-kun? His mother – or at least, a woman who called herself his mother," she looked imploringly at them here, "Edogawa Fumiyo, she came to take him away a few months ago."

Yukiko stiffened, pulling her hands out of Ran's as the younger girl started to look distraught. Yusaku suppressed the urge to put a comforting arm around his wife – Ran may not pick it up, but Kogoro, who'd been sitting rather silently in his chair for a while now, definitely would.

"Yukiko-san, Yusaku-san, I haven't heard from Conan-kun ever since he left and today –" Ran turned towards her father then, "Even Tou-san was there, when today...he suddenly came up during the investigation of a case!"

"Ah, Ran-kun," Yusaku smiled, hiding his unease perfectly, "Nothing to worry about, there. We personally know the Edogawa family – it is not what you're thinking. I'm sure Conan-kun will call you soon."

"Oh!" Ran blinked, surprised at the immediate reassurance, "But – but, Conan-kun wasn't very…" she bit her lip, looking away, "Are you sure he's alright?"

"Quite." The novelist faced Kogoro, "Yukiko simply panicked a bit when we'd been unable to reach Shinichi, I'm sure he is alright. We'll take our leave now."

"Yu-chan –!"

"Come, Yukiko, they've just come back from investigating a case. I'm sure they'd like to rest."

* * *

"Do you think –?"

"That Shinichi has contacted Ran-kun? Yes, quite definitely." Yusaku said as he walked down the stairs, "It seems that he was making sure no loose ends were left."

"Then...he must know, right?" Yukiko shook her head, "He must! Ran-chan would have told him of our return –"

"Yes," Yusaku sighed, "I'm sure he does."

"But – but! Why wouldn't he call? I've been so...so worried –"

"If I were to guess," her husband gave her sad smile, "he thought it best we get our information about his well being the same way he did about our trick – via the Mouri's." Upon seeing her despondent look, he tugged at her hand, "Come, let's go home. I think it would best to give Shinichi his space, give him time to come to terms with all of this. We can make our amends and apologies later."

The car had been parked a bit further away from the agency, and the couple paused when they saw a young man leaning next to it.

"I'm Hattori Heiji, Detective of the West," the boy said, tipping his cap as one would do with a hat, as a sign of respect, "Yer Kudo's parents, aren't ya?"

"Aa, that's correct," Yusaku extended his hand, which the boy grasped immediately, "A friend of Shinichi's?"

"Not quite," the teen shrugged, "just came up ta Tokyo ta meet him. Not heard of him in a while, ya know, disappeared some time back. Saw ya come up to the detective agency. And, well…"

Yusaku nearly smiled. The kid was sharp. To have figured that something was wrong merely because of Shinichi's lack of media appearance – how else would he have known? – drawn the right conclusions and come all the way to Tokyo to look into the matter; yes, definitely sharp. And quite bold too, to approach them directly about it.

Even if they might not be friends (perhaps only acquainted with each other?); to see that someone had cared for his son enough to go on a man-hunt for him, it warmed Yusaku's heart.

"It was nice meeting you, Hattori-kun," Yusaku said, a hint of warmth in his usually stoic voice, as he ushered his wife to the car, "I wish you luck." He turned to look at the now stupefied teen, "And remember, any good detective must practise this – _discretion_."

* * *

Heiji quirked an eyebrow at the non-answer. What the hell? Kudo's mother said absolutely nothing as she got behind the wheel and sped the car away, and while Kudo's dad might have talked to him – what did he even _mean_ by that?

The Osakan scowled as he started walking towards the station. He'd spoken just what he'd needed to – enough to hint that something was wrong and ask if they knew about it. They did, Heiji thought, after all, they'd come to the Mouri's, hadn't they? Just like he had.

"And what did Kudo's Oyaji say? Nice ta meet ya – and then drove off. Che!" Heiji kicked an offending stone from his path.

_'...I wish you luck…'_

"No, wait…" Heiji stopped at an intersection, brows furrowed in concentration, "At first, I thought he was just humoring me. Thinking I was a fool to get all worked up, just denying like that Mouri girl, but..."

_'...remember, any good detective must practise this…'_

"He wasn't telling me ta back off," The signal turned green, prompting Heiji to cross with the other pedestrians, "he was asking fer help!"

Heiji scratched his head. Clearly, this was no small thing if Kudo Yusaku was advising him to be cautious. The man was an intellectual, a brilliant mystery novelist. If Kudo was missing – and that was another thing – why was there no missing report in the papers? There was no reason for Kudo-san to have said what he did.

_'...discretion…'_

Yes. From his words, this much was clear. The Kudo's wanted him to continue what he was doing; _discreetly_. It seemed that things were not as straightforward as he'd thought.

"Well, can't do much now. Gotta go home and sleep on this." Heiji sighed, "This Kudo business is fishy. And that kid – Conan – they're all kinda related, I just need ta figure out how."

* * *

"Looks like the search was fruitless," Vodka commented as one of the lower ranked members departed after delivering the news.

"Yes," Gin agreed, narrowing his eyes, "the Kudo's seem to be worried and frantically investigating something. I suppose we can safely conclude that Kudo Shinichi's body was found privately and hidden."

"Why?" Sherry asked quietly, "The cause of death wouldn't be found –"

"Exactly," Gin pointed out, "Kudo Yusaku is a well-known genius. One look at the reason of death, when his son was hale and hearty, and he would have easily known that something larger is afoot."

"Then, Aniki," Vodka began, "The police must know, too! He couldn't have realised without an autopsy."

"I agree," Gin said before turning to Sherry, "Mark him as dead. If Kudo Yusaku is on this case, then he will have made sure only select people know of his son's death as he investigates it."

"Alright," Sherry conceded, "What will you do of the Kudo's?"

"Nothing," Gin made to take his leave, "We shall keep our distance. Trying to meddle now will only give Yusaku more clues. We shall be silent and go about our business without interfering with Kudo's. He will have to give up in a couple of years. After all, the poison is untraceable."

Sherry acquiesced. When they had conducted the first search of the Kudo house, all indications pointed that no one had entered it in a long time. With the return of Kudo Shinichi's parents, it only served as certainty of the detective's death. Well, Sherry didn't have to do anything then. It was back to lab work now.

' _Perhaps I should give Onee-chan a visit,'_ Sherry thought as she made her way to her lab to update the status of Kudo's death, ' _She seems to have taken up a job in a bank all of a sudden. I wonder…why…?'_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...how was it? Thoughts? Suggestions? Criticisms?
> 
> Please, please let me know!   
> Really, incredibly nervous here!

**Author's Note:**

> All readers, don't worry. The Tsuchida family and those officers back there will have a very minimal role. They are just present to give the plot some solidity, that's all. The main charcters are still Kudo Shinichi and Kuroba Kaito. Along with Hattori Heiji, Mouri Ran, Hakuba Saguru, the Shounen Tantei-dan and the FBI.
> 
> Also, for those interested to know the meaning behind Conan's new name:
> 
> Fuyuhiko (冬彦)– Winter prince
> 
> Daichi (大智) - Great wisdom


End file.
